Sorta OT- Choking Hazard Situation

Last night DH, the kids and I went to a local children's museum. While we were there, I had a bit of a "situation" with another mother. My son who is just about 18 months was at one of the exhibits playing with a golf ball. He was playing appropriately and I was standing right there watching him play. All of the sudden, some lady comes up and starts trying to take the golf ball out of his hands. He put up a fight, and she couldn't get it from him. I'm sure I had a bit of a shocked look on my face when I pointed out where the rest of the golf balls were. I had assumed she wanted a golf ball to use and was just going to take my son's rather than look around for more. She said in a rude tone, "Whose baby is this? He's obviously not being watched. I wasn't going to leave him alone with a chocking hazard." So I rolled my eyes, picked him up and said, "He's fine." I was pretty annoyed at the time, and thinking about it now, I'm still annoyed at her. My questions are, do you let your 18 month old play with golf balls, or balls that size? (There is NO way that LO could have fit the ball in his mouth to choke on it, and I was right there watching him.) And would you also be annoyed if this happened to you?

Last night DH, the kids and I went to a local children's museum. While we were there, I had a bit of a "situation" with another mother. My son who is just about 18 months was at one of the exhibits playing with a golf ball. He was playing appropriately and I was standing right there watching him play. All of the sudden, some lady comes up and starts trying to take the golf ball out of his hands. He put up a fight, and she couldn't get it from him. I'm sure I had a bit of a shocked look on my face when I pointed out where the rest of the golf balls were. I had assumed she wanted a golf ball to use and was just going to take my son's rather than look around for more. She said in a rude tone, "Whose baby is this? He's obviously not being watched. I wasn't going to leave him alone with a chocking hazard." So I rolled my eyes, picked him up and said, "He's fine." I was pretty annoyed at the time, and thinking about it now, I'm still annoyed at her. My questions are, do you let your 18 month old play with golf balls, or balls that size? (There is NO way that LO could have fit the ball in his mouth to choke on it, and I was right there watching him.) And would you also be annoyed if this happened to you?

Holy crap - I would've been super annoyed. My son is also nearly 18 months and would never be able to put a golf ball in his mouth.

Beyond that, my son didn't really follow the typical "let's put everything in our mouths" phase that everyone talks about. I'm super comfortable with him playing with money, for example, (we practice putting it in his piggy bank) with my supervision. No one knows your child's limits more than you.

I probably would have said something like "Thanks for your concern, but my son outgrew putting things in his mouth 12 months ago."

Holy crap - I would've been super annoyed. My son is also nearly 18 months and would never be able to put a golf ball in his mouth.

Beyond that, my son didn't really follow the typical "let's put everything in our mouths" phase that everyone talks about. I'm super comfortable with him playing with money, for example, (we practice putting it in his piggy bank) with my supervision. No one knows your child's limits more than you.

I probably would have said something like "Thanks for your concern, but my son outgrew putting things in his mouth 12 months ago."

I'd have intervened long before she had a chance to struggle with my son and would have said " mind your damn business and leave my child alone"! And present her with five good reasons to do so ( kidding I don't condone violence)

I'd have intervened long before she had a chance to struggle with my son and would have said " mind your damn business and leave my child alone"! And present her with five good reasons to do so ( kidding I don't condone violence)

My old boss had twin babies and she recalls a time when they were still very young and each sucking on pacifiers in their stroller and some lady with a lit cigarette in her hand walked up (with my boss right there) leaned in and snatched the pacifiers out of their mouths saying "they don't need those" and apparently she had the lit cigarette right there by them, to me this is similar and I would have flipped out on her

My old boss had twin babies and she recalls a time when they were still very young and each sucking on pacifiers in their stroller and some lady with a lit cigarette in her hand walked up (with my boss right there) leaned in and snatched the pacifiers out of their mouths saying "they don't need those" and apparently she had the lit cigarette right there by them, to me this is similar and I would have flipped out on her

And this is why I always say its no one else's business to parent other people's kids. I would have been very ticked off with the lady, I think you handled it fine. And I do let my 18 month old play with things that size also.

And this is why I always say its no one else's business to parent other people's kids. I would have been very ticked off with the lady, I think you handled it fine. And I do let my 18 month old play with things that size also.

You handled it better than me. I have 10 month old twins and any time we're out in public people always walk up and talk to me about them or talk to them and maybe it's the constant amazement and questions about having twins that has just gotten annoying but if anyone I didnt know even attempted to touch one of my kids I would have flipped out, let alone trying to take something from them. Now if I saw a potential danger for a child with no parent near by I'd maybe say something very politely to the child to prevent harm but never touch them, too many crazies now a days!

You handled it better than me. I have 10 month old twins and any time we're out in public people always walk up and talk to me about them or talk to them and maybe it's the constant amazement and questions about having twins that has just gotten annoying but if anyone I didnt know even attempted to touch one of my kids I would have flipped out, let alone trying to take something from them. Now if I saw a potential danger for a child with no parent near by I'd maybe say something very politely to the child to prevent harm but never touch them, too many crazies now a days!

I wouldn't be annoyed; I would be pissed the h e double sticks off. If I am right there watching my almost 18 month old playing with something that is clearly meant to be played with--no one is going to wrestle anything away from her. If she is not suppose to have something, I will take it from her.

If she was an employee and we were doing something that was against the rules and I didn't know it--the right thing would have been for her to tell me, so that I could calmly remove Pearl from that situation.

I wouldn't be annoyed; I would be pissed the h e double sticks off. If I am right there watching my almost 18 month old playing with something that is clearly meant to be played with--no one is going to wrestle anything away from her. If she is not suppose to have something, I will take it from her.

If she was an employee and we were doing something that was against the rules and I didn't know it--the right thing would have been for her to tell me, so that I could calmly remove Pearl from that situation.

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